2013.07.19 - The Good News, and The Bad News
After the very unusual weapon's demo on Asgard, Justin Hammer was sent back to Midgard with some homework. After seeing what did, and didn't work, as well as discussing some of the weaknesses of the very unusual opponents, Hammer wanted to gather some more information and options. He spent a very late night at home in his study pouring over the collected research and documentation he had, then woke early to gather some additional material from Hammer Industries. After arriving at the office before his secretary and half of the administrative staff he started work, pulling both hard copies and digital files together. It was nearly lunch time when Hammer had finally put together everything he thought might be helpful. He blew off two meetings to work on it, and even set aside the SHIELD project to try and get ready for another trip to Asgard. The knowledge and what he saw at the demo yesterday bothered him far deeper than he thought it would, and his involvement has gone from lucrative business proposal to self preservation. Packing his laptop, several file folders and a small digital projector into a large hard-sided briefcase, the CEO ran over the instructions he was given in his head. All he had to do to call the gate keeper, Heimdall, was simply look up and call to him. It sounded completely ludicrous, but then again he was dealing with gods and goddesses. Not that long ago that in and of itself would have been equally as ridiculous. With a sigh, standing in the middle of his office holding the briefcase, Justin looks toward the ceiling. Hopefully this won't blow a hole in the building, or fry the computer, or god forbid, cause his flaky secretary to have some sort of panic attack. Feeling completely stupid and having a good bit of doubt as to how this will play out, Hammer offers the name to the featureless ceiling. "Heimdall..." Silence greets the CEO for several long minutes. Several more after that, the sky outside the windows the sky darkens suddenly. There's a multicolored flash of light, and then the secrutiy alarms ring. "Mr. Hammer! Mr. Hammer! There's something on the roof!" exclaims said flaky secretary in a very high pitched and yes panicky voice. "That's what the security is saying!" Justin had nearly given up on the entire exercise, and was starting to grow a bit angry at having wasted so much time and effort. He walks over to his desk and sets the briefcase down on it, looking out the large windows that make up the back wall of his office. Crossing his arms over his chest he looks out at the complex, then starts to notice the clouds. It looks like a storm is moving in, but it's happening far too quickly to be natural. About the time that the realization hits Hammer, there's a flash then chaos. The shrill voice on the speaker phone causes Justin to jolt almost as much as the flash of light had. Instead of replying through the phone system, as he normally would, the CEO grabs the briefcase off the desk and crosses his office to the door. Stepping through it he immediately sees a very ruffled looking Liz, as well as two plain-clothes HI security personnel. One of the security men looks toward Justin, and holds up a hand to stop him. "We may have a situation, you might want to-" Hammer cuts him off with a wave of his hand. "I think my ride's here," he says without elaboration before starting toward the stairs to the roof access. The two guards fall in step behind the CEO, not asking questions but staying on high alert. Liz, the secretary, just sits there. She looks utterly bewildered, which isn't that unusual for the woman. The trio reach the roof, one of the guards opening the access door and stepping out to survey the scene. Hammer follows close behind him, perhaps a poor decision, but he did recognize the strangely colored light from when he took the Bifrost yesterday. The second guard brings up the rear, ready to pull Justin back inside if things go south. Do the guards classify someone in golden full plate with spear and shield standing on the bery center of the helipad, its H erased by an entric knotwork pattern, as 'South'? The guard stands there, blue eyes noting the guardsman Hammer brings with him. Noting that it's not usual, the Asgardian does nothing except take a full step backwards, off the center of the knotwork, and wait in silence. And his red cape does that cool anime flutter thing in the wind. The lead guard starts to brush back his suit coat to reach for his service weapon. Justin catches the motion, stepping forward and hand out toward the guard. "Whoa, whoa, easy there. He's a friend, we don't need to go and get jumpy." The CEO makes a mental note to have the security procedures updated for working with Asgardians, to avoid instances like this in the future. The guard backs off, dropping his hand and letting his coat fall back into place. Both security men have looks of utter shock on their faces. Justin steps forward rather boldly, approaching the Asgadrian. "Very impressive, love what you did to the helipad. I think it adds some well-deserved class to the roof here." Hammer offers the guard a grin as he steps onto the knotwork pattern. The Asgardian just stands there impassively. The hand on his spear does tighten as does the one behind his shield, and while he is clearly ready to defend himself, he makes no overt motions of agression. His eyes return to Justin and if the CEO expected witty banter, he is in for grand disappointment. The guard gives the human a nod, guard to Lord, then nods to the center of the helipad. As soon as Justin steps onto the center of the knotwork the sky above the area boils black clouds again. Flickes of rainbow lightning. The vortex stretches downward. A flash, and Justin is no longer upon Midgard. Did Justin want those guards with him? He should invest in guards that aren't so easiy flummoxed. The two security men stay where they are. They're obviously not going on the journey, and when there's what looks like lightning and a strange tornado like thing of some sort they both take several steps back. If this were something traditional, say, a helicopter come to pick up their boss or your average, run of the mill terroritst attack, they wouldn't be nearly so skittish. Yep, new security procedures are definitely in order. Justin remembers this from his first bifrost journey only twenty four hours before. He braces himself for the somewhat disorienting form of travel, closing his eyes to ward off the bright light. When he lands on the other side he takes a staggering step before he completely re-adjusts. "Wow, that is certainly going to take some getting used to. Not how I'm used to traveling," he says to whoever might be around, or himself if no one is in speaking range. "You could make a fortune selling tickets to ride it, though. Make Adventureland go bankrupt." The guard that accompanied Justin reaches out with his spear hand to grab the human's elbow in what is supposed to be a steading motion, whatever the human might think of it. The good news for Justin is that there is indeed someone near by to hear him prattle on, though not necessarily able to understand him. Even more fortunately, Heimdall is there to assist. "The guard will escourt you to the King," says the Guardian in the All Tongue. His voice is every bit as deep as Thor's is, only lacking the thunderous boom. Heimdall doesn't move from where is stands, sword in hand, yellow eyes seeing through the human before him. Guards line the room, facing inward, keeping a careful eye on things. The catch from the guard causes Justin to start. He holds his empty hand toward the guard in a slightly defensive position. "Easy, I'm good, I'm good," he offers, side stepping from the spear holder. Heimdall's voice immediately draws his attention, and the mortal CEO straightens himself up and faces the Guardian. "Excellent," he replies before turning back toward the guard that escorted him from Midgard. "So, uh, lead the way." He has taken stock of the guards around the room, and it's a bit off-putting. "Taking security pretty seriously I see? Gotta hand it to ya, they may not be carrying machine guns but damn, they're intimidating." Heimdall doesn't answer. Whatever the reason. He doesn't even blink. Not even as the guard motions forward with the spear and waits for Justin to start walking. Justin starts off in the direction indicated by the point of the spear. AS he's getting no response to anything he says, he finally falls quiet. It's strange, even when he visits military bases or other government installations he gets more of a reaction than this. The whole thing sets him on edge, some of the unease from the previous day's demo returning. Just outside the Gate of that opens to the Rainbow Bridge itself are six horses. Four of them are occupied. Three hold guards and the other, a pure white one, bears the Queen herself. "Heimdall rarely speaks to any unless it pertains to his duties. Do not feel slighted, my friend." There's a hint of a smirk on Sif's features. She nods to the other two horses. "I hope you can ride. If not, just hang on tight." The Goddess is getting entirely too much joy out of this. It's been a while since she's smiled. The sight of the Queen and the sound of her voice puts Justin more at ease. He visibly relaxes slightly, letting some of the tension out of his shoulders. "Your Majesty, Sif," he greets with a smile that's fairly typical of him, "Good to see you again so soon. Just wish it were under better circumstances." He looks toward the horses and his face falls before he can cover up his falter with a broader grin and nervous laugh. "Again, not how I'm used to traveling," he offers, looking between the horse and the goddess-queen. He has never been on a horse before, having grown up in the city. Hell, he's only seen them up close a handful of times. He walks up to the big bay he's standing nearest to, looking over the animal and the saddle it wears. "So, where's the trunk release?" he asks, pointing at his briefcase, "So I can stow this?" Stalling for time? Most likely. The guard with him steps forward to take the briefcase. Then, placing his spear into the holder on his back and the shield over that, the guardsman, with the utmost in patience, offers Justin a hand up and into the saddle. For the first time in, what has likely been days, the Goddess laughs. "Up you go, my friend. You will have to carry it." She nods to the guard who is still standing and motions to Justin with her head. A silent: Help him mount up. Silver-blue eyes flicker briefly to Heimdall and her smile softens. "Brother. Thank you." She inclines her head deeply before looking back to the gathered company. Seeing the guard off his assistance earns him a nod of approval before Sif and the guards that accompanied her turn their steeds towards the Palace and wait. Note to self: After writing up new security procedures to deal with Asgardians and Asgardian travel, make appointment to get riding lessons. Justing blinks at the guard as he takes the briefcase. So much for stalling. His ego flares up a bit, and he's not sure how to react to the offer of help. He offers the guard a waves of his hand as if to say 'I got this', and attempts to climb into the saddle. Being that he's never done this, and in a suit, it's anything but graceful. Still, by the grace of god (or the gods?) he manages to settle himself into the saddle after only one failed attempt. Facing the right way, even. Reaching down he takes the briefcase from the guard and looks toward Sif. "Y'know, every time I visit this place, it's a new adventure," he says with a slightly nervous smirk. Sif turns her head and backs the horse up (Yes, horses can be trained to back up), until she's beside Justin. She gives another laugh and reaches out to clap him, lightly!, on the shoulder. "Then you'll never tire of us! Hold on." She motions to the saddle horn and reaches for the reins herself. Once Justin is settled, the Queen gives a sly smile and wink before tapping her horse with her heels and snapping her own reins. The beast, as well as the one she's leading and her guards' all take off. It's a walk for only a short moment before it progresses into a full out gallop back to the Palace stables. Caution finally outweighs his ego, and Justin grabs onto the saddle horn with his free hand, keeping a tight grip on the briefcase with the other. He doesn't say anything about having his horse lead, as it occures to him that the same kind of ego-driven antics he displayed to the guard probably wouldn't be tolerated by the War-Goddess Queen. At first it doesn't seem bad, the horse's walking gate is tolerable. Then someone kicks in the after burners and Hammer nearly goes off the back of the thing. Shear will not to fall off of the horse and look like an ass is the only thing that keeps him in the saddle. The guard waits near by for Justin to take the saddle, but past that initial offer, the armored man does nothing ot help Justin whatsoever. The briefcase is given up without a word. The guard mounts and joins the rest toward the palace. Sif barely suppresses the urge to smile and laugh. She manages though! When they reach the stables, there are two stable hands there waiting for them. As soon as everyone has dismounted, the horses are led away and the Goddess-Queen leads the way into the Palace. Where Thor is waiting for them, hands clasped behind his back, eyes over looking the Realm Eternal. He turns his face toward the pair as they enter. When the group arrives at the stables, Justin lets out a sigh of relief. He actually looks a bit pale, not having been at all prepared for that. But he, and the briefcase, managed to make it safely. He passes the briefcase on to one of the stable hands, then starts trying to figure out how the hell to get back down off the horse. A quip runs through his brain about getting knocked off his high horse, but for once he keeps his comments to himself. After some hesitation, he manages to make it back to solid ground. He's in one piece, and really no worse for wear. Luckily he managed to make it through the ordeal without damaging his expensive suit. Remaining oddly quiet Hammer follows Sif to the palace. By the time they reach Thor, most of the color has returned to his face. Smiling as he sees the Thunderer, Justin still stays quiet, trying to judge the god's mood before he speaks. Smiling and with silent laughter shining in her eyes, Sif makes her way over to Thor. "Husband," is greeted warmly before she leans up to kiss him softly. "Shall I send for food and drink?" Thor is... thoughtful. He, himself, has just returned to Asgard, after meeting with Fury and Stark about making sure that SHIELD and the Avengers were likewise prepared for what Thor hoped would never come to pass. He summons a sunshine of a smile to his face, marred only by the hint of rain in his stormy eyes. "Justin Hammer. Welcome, once more, to Asgard," says the Thunder King as his hands unclasp from behind him so he can greet his Wife when she once more comes to his side. The smile softens at her kiss, and much of the tension slides away as he spots the smile and laughter in her silver-blue eyes. "No need, my Love. It has already been done." Thor turns to smile far more warmly at Justin as he assumes the human was part of the cause for the happy-Sif. "Shall we?" And Thor motions toward an outdoor, nicely shaded from the sun, sitting area. Justin smiles when he is greeted and the Thunder God seems to relax slightly. The guy can seem almost childish in his usual jovial moods, but when he gets serious, it's intimidating. "Good to see you again, Your Majesty," he returns with a slight nod of his head. He's around gods, royal gods even, and he still doesn't bow fully or otherwise play into the formalities. It's a damned good thing he's on friendly terms with the Asgardians, otherwise he may have been smited by now. "I have the information that you both requested yesterday." He holds up the briefcase for emphasis, then follows the couple to the outdoor area. Well, the projector will be useless out there, but the material can still be presented. It's a circular effect really. The happier Sif is, the happier Thor is, the happier Sif is... See the pattern? She leans in to Thor as she links her arm with his and walks outside. A look is given over her shoulder to Justin and she grins. "Thank you for being so prompt. Please, sit and enjoy a small respite." Asgard A Little Drop of Rain says, "Sif is scary in the 'will pummel the stuffing' out of you. Loki is scary in the clever, creative revenge department." Circular patterns abound, since Thor happily lets Sif take his arm, wrapping his other hand over hers. "Yes, please. Eat, drink.." says the Thunderer, eyes more on Sif than anything else. Can we say smitten? A respite is definitely not going to be turned down. Between the Bifrost travel and the horseback riding, plus running on only a few hours of sleep, Justin is looking a bit worn thin. He sits down, setting the briefcase aside then flexing his fingers to work the stiffness out of them. He had forgotten how long he had been carrying the thing, and it's not exactly light. "My pleasure. After all, this seems like a pretty urgent situation so I thought it was best to move quickly." He does his best to mostly ignore the newlywed behavior, and just remain professional. He's not here as a friend, this time. It's almost impossible for Sif to tear her eyes from Thor. Even after twenty-five hundred years, it's still like this for them. Once they reach the table, the Thunderer is kissed once more before Sif seats herself, only hesitating in doing so for a moment. A look is given to Justin and she nods her head. "It is indeed but such things are not meant to be discussed over a meal. After we've eaten and had a drink, we can get down to such things. Relax, friend." Her eyes immediately go back to Thor and she smiles softly. Almost demurely. "The same goes for you. No talk of war at the table." If one had expected Thor to put his foot down and pull the 'i'm a man, rar' card, then one is surely disappointed. "Yes, ma'am," says the Thunderer with a warm chuckle, sounding very much like the Thor of old; youthful, carefree, and boyish. Thor reaches for a drink. No talk of war at the table? Then what are they supposed to talk about? Justin offers a light smile and a nod to Sif. He leans forward and takes a drink from the table, sniffing it before taking a careful sip from it. As much as he would love to have something to take the edge off this, the Asgardian alcohol is far stronger than even the best stuff on Earth and has to be handled with caution. This isn't the time to get wasted, intentionally or not. Hammer sits back in his chair and looks out over the setting. He feels slightly awkward and out of place, though he tries hard not to let that show too badly. Sif chuckles softly at Thor and reaches out for his free hand. She settles back in her seat, seeming not the least bit interested in food or drink. A hand goes to rest on that small bump. For a moment, she's silent before she inhales slowly. "I feel a bit unwell... I beg your pardon but I need to rest." She looks over at Thor. "If you'll excuse me...? Please wake me after the meal and I shall join you gentlemen in discussing things." Thor settles a hand on Sif's head as she sits down. His eyes grow a touch worried as she rests a hand upon that little bump. When she inhales, Thor sits up straighter, sudden worry alive on his face. "Yes, of course," says Thor. Justin looks to Sif as she announces she's going to take her leave. He offers her a nod, guessing from her gestures that it must be due to the pregnancy. Once the goddess has left, he looks back toward Thor. At least he won't be the third wheel now. "Don't worry too much, she'll be fine. Pretty sure that's normal," he offers the Thunderer as he looks over the meal. All he's eaten today was a piece of coffee cake from Starbucks when he grabbed a morning latte on his way into the office, and that's becoming very apparent. The Thunderer stands as Sif makes her way out, leveling a concerned frown at the handmaidens... valkyrie... that escourt the warrior queen away. One of them gives Thor a nodding bow before leaving and going the opposite direction of the others. Thor seems relieved by it. Turning back to his guest, Thor smiles to Justin, offering a smaller more fragile looking mug from the ones provided. "My thanks. The healer shall attend to her. Still, seeing her made so delicate is... conflicting," Thor admits before explaining the drink. "This mead has been watered down for thee. I have tasted it, and it is as potential as some of the more common Midgardian ales I have tried. One, I think, has been described to me as 'Sex on a Boat'?" The way the statement lifts up at the end speaks volumes of Thor's confusion on the expression. "And that decather there is more of the same. Eat and drink thy fill, and let us speak, as friends, as the Goddess did request." In other words, no war. Still no talk of war? Damn. Justin takes the drink that's offered to him, setting the other one aside. If it's the equivalent to good beer at home he can drink more of it and still conduct business later. And he's OK with this. "Thanks," he returns, raising the glass slightly toward Thor before taking a drink. Watered down or not it still tastes pretty damned good. He can't help but laugh at Thor's confusion. "I think you mean 'sex on the beach'. It's a mixed drink, has vodka, schnapps and fruit juice in it." When the king mentions eating, Hammer reaches for a plate. Everything looks wonderful, and if the food at the wedding was any indication, it should be quite a lunch. Thor, with normal mead in hand, shakes his head, still looking confused. "Nay. I know Sex on a Beach. Sif is quite fond of both. The man that described this to me clearly said Sex on a Boat," Thor insists with jovial confusion as he too drinks a bit and reaches for a plate of his own. Fruits and meats and cheeses and breads. Justin arches a brow, then shakes his head. "Can't say I've heard of it. Must be some variation, then." He takes a moment to tuck a napkin into his shirt collar, lest he get something on his tie (which likely cost more than what many folks get paid in a week), then starts eating. The food doesn't disappoint. "Damn, excellent as usual. You Asgardians really know how to cook. Wolfgang Puck could learn a thing or two from you." "I shall inform the cook," Thor promises with a wide smile as his mind works over the phrase referring to a very watered down drink that he still couldn't fully decypher. Sometimes, the All Tongue is just not helpful. "I have spoken with thy fellow weaponsmith. He should be arriving soon to likewise do a weapons check, and if thou art available here, it would please me to discuss the merits and flaws and requirements of thy crafts," says Thor, about as conversationally as he can. This isn't War Talk, right? Fellow weaponsmith? Justin arches a brow and takes another bite of food. "Oh? Who might that be?" There are still quite a few players in that game, including Bruce Wayne who was at the wedding. And if one of them is also being brought in on that, it means competition. Hammer isn't fond of competition, and despite Sif's instructions, his brain flicks over into business mode. "My fellow Avenger and friend, Tony Stark. It was good to hear that both he and Director Fury were familiar with thy good works. I ensured them that thou did know perhaps a bit more than they did thus far. Tony shall be collecting a few of the other Avengers and coming to Asgard to see what has been done and to see where they can support thy efforts, should Midgard have true need of the armaments as Sif has seen," says Thor in a completely NOT business-like manner. Meaning that this is Thor not talking shop. There's a pause that can't be missed in Justin's movements when 'that name' is mentioned. He at least manages to cover his soured expression, keeping his feelings hidden under a mask of surprise. Both Stark and SHIELD must have been keeping their true opinions to themselves if they thought his work was acceptable. Hammer breaks the silence with a light chuckle that doesn't have a lot of humor in it. "The great Tony Stark himself, huh? It's been a while since we have talked." Quite a while, and likely because it was engineered that way on both sides. "Indeed. I am glad thou doth know him. I am put, now, far more at ease knowing that two heroes of Midgard shall be working closely together to see to the Realm's protection. I would, of course, do so myself but... well," Thor motions about himself, as if it explains everything. Thor, oblivious Thor, used to Loki's tricks and decits and lies, doesn't even so much as notice Justin's surprised ill-ease. The light chuckle is given full value, and to it the Thunderer smiles quite warmly... and drinks more of his mead. Working... Closely... Together? With Stark? Oh, hell no. Hell frickin' no... Not unless Hammer can make off with a good enough chunk of Stark-tech to sink the other company once and for all. Justin looks out at the landscape when Thor motions outward, taking that moment to cover up his initial reaction. He also picks up his glass of mead and takes a drink, further stalling. "I-I thought Stark was out of the weapons business? Y'know, getting into the whole alternative energy movement and staying with civilian tech. I didn't think he'd want in on this, might upset the liberal following he's got." "The Iron Man is still a hero of Midgard, and a good friend of mine. His armor may be of some great use to us in the defense of this realm and thy own. He seemed more than agreeable, as did Director Fury, who is even now collecting information on the Svartalftar attack on Manhattan some days ago. Hopefully, what he finds can be of use to thyself and the Goddess," says Thor before he takes a drink. Right. Wasn't supposed to talk war without Sif. Thor casts his gaze about, looking for a way to change the subject... "Doth thou know much of hte matter of pregnant females?" If Thor wasn't fishing for subject changes, Justin would be. He doesn't want to hear about Iron Man or how great he is. This project was already going to be pretty pressure intensive, and if he has to work under the unwelcome eyes of Stark and SHIELD, things are just going to get worse. /What the hell have you gotten yourself into?/ Justin asks himself as he takes another drink of mead. By the end of this, he may need the fully leaded stuff. The change of subject, while on some levels welcome, also catches Hammer off guard. "Um, no, not really, Thor... I mean, I only know what you can learn watching television." He avoided his sister while she was pregnant, because she was hard enough to deal with before she got knocked up, and only got worse after. "Ah," says Thor, bringing his drink up to his lips thoughtfully. And then, almost recklessly... "I ask because earlier, thou did seem... more knowledgable than I..." Oh look! The God of Thunder, uncertain. Justin gives a chuckle and shakes his head. "I don't have all that much info on the subject. I do know that they get moody, want to eat really bizarre stuff like pickles and peanut butter at the same time or are sick." And that really does pretty much sum up his knowledge on the subject. He looks down at his plate, and finds he's lost most of his appetite. "I have noticed these things," states Thor, noting Justin's mood shift. While he drinks, he silently jopes for Sif's return. This mortal is indeed a devote attendant of the Goddess... So much for friendly conversation. Not that Justin couldn't normally pull it off, he's sat and talked with Thor before, but with the information he's just received it's hard for him to actually pull off the social side of things. Especially since they weren't supposed to be talking about war, and war is pretty much Hammer's entire business. "So, uh, how long did it take for you and Sif to get the rope off your hands? From the wedding." Sif does, indeed, make her return only moments later. She's freshly washed and is dressed in a new gown. "My deepest apologies; gentlemen," is murmured as she steps up to the table. She reaches out to run her fingers theough Thor's hair. "Am I interrupting?" And the memory has Thor laughing, the warmth quick to return. "Several days, given that finding suffucient time to ourselves to work out the twists of things without unknotting or resorting to blades," replies the Thunderer before Sif enters. He looks over, sitting up straighter. "Nay, beloved. We were discussing Our Knots," Thor bubbles with relief. "Art thou feeling better?" Hammer looks to the arriving goddess, glad for her return. Now they can move onto business and he can get back to Staten Island and deal with the billion other things he needs to get done. The excitement of getting to visit Asgard at all before the wedding, then going back a second time and a third has diminished dramatically. "Welcome back, Lady Sif," he offers to the goddess-queen. Wait, is he still supposed to use the term 'Lady'? He is so very lucky the Asgardians seem so forgiving. Sif smiles warmly down at Thor. "Aye, my heart. Much." She leans down to place a kiss against his temple. The topic of discussion causes her to chuckle softly. "Mmm. That was an interesting few days..." There's mischief in her eyes and in her voice. "Fun too." Another kiss is pressed to Thor's head. "Shall we make our way to my room then?" "Yes, certainly," says Thor with visible eagerness. Men, not able to talk about manly things! Save us, Lady of Blades, Goddess of War! Take us to thy room! Err... That's not how that was supposed to sound! Regardless, the Thunderer rises to his feet and sets the mead down at the table. No need to take libations in to the War Room with them. They'll need clear heads. Justin stands when Thor does, welcoming the switch to more serious subjects. He takes a last drink from the cup he had, then sets it aside and takes up his briefcase. He follows the pair in silence, looking more at his surroundings than anything else as they head to the war room. Sif smiles and nods her head, once more linking her arm with Thor's. Once they make it to her War Room, Sif motions to the chairs pit around one of the larger tables. "Shall we sit gentlemen? I am anxious to see what modifications can and cannot be accommodated. " Thor sits down ready to plan. "director fury is pulling survellience on the svartalf attack on Manhattan. " Justin takes a seat at the table, setting the briefcase down on the table. He unlatches the lid and flips it open, taking out several file folders and a laptop computer. Without hesitation, the CEO jumps straight into business. "I've got some good news, and some bad news. The good news is that we'll be able to make several modifications that should increase the effectiveness of the weapons we discussed yesterday. The bad news is that some of the modifications rely on untested or beta technology. We also won't know the exact extent of the effectiveness of the modified rounds, or the unmodified ones, until we life fire against the enemy we're facing." There's no such thing as ballistic gel that mimics dragons or ice giants, so it's a crapshoot until they're actually on the battlefield. Not a very comforting thought. Sif blinks a few moments and her head tilts off to one side. Clearly, she's attempting to process and decipher all of what was just said to her. "So if I understand right, some of the weapons can be made but we won't know how effective they are until the battle begins?" "I shall work with Director Fury and Heimdall in case there have been further incursions into Midgard of which we are not yet aware. Perhaps the information gleaned from those sources will benefith thee, Master Hammer, in ensuring thy best guess is the best possible," says Thor, fully focused on using any and all resources on this little issue. This is likely going to end up the most open and honest business presentation Justin has ever conducted. Normally he would have never mentioned what he did about untested technology, but he knows Sif would sniff out a lie in a heartbeat. He nods, his tone and demeanor serious. "I hate to say it, but that's exactly it. To be honest, I know how to kill a mortal man. Dragons and giants, I won't know until I've actually taken a shot at one what will work, and what won't." Looking to Thor the CEO nods again. "Any additional information is of great value." If there are consistent, hidden attacks, there may be an opportunity to test out the experimental ammunition sooner than expected. Sif nods her head and leans back in her seat. A deep breath is taken. "I see." She's silent a moment longer before nodding her head. "Even if they are untested, it would be an advantage. Thank you, Justin." She looks over at Thor. "I will need to meet with Nick and Tony." "I will make the arrangements. Tony Stark is currently seeking out Captain America and Black Widow, and will call to thy Brother for passage to Asgard," says the Thunderer with a soldier's grace. Hammer barely suppresses another scowl. Working with SHIELD on a regular contract is bad enough. This will be worse. And then Stark's in on it. With any luck, though, this will do enough to bolster Hammer Industries' reputation and land him additional contracts. If it works out, dealing with Tony Stark will be worth it. "I do what I can, Lady Sif," he replies to the goddess. Opening up one of the file folders, Justin produces two copies of a data sheet on a rifle-fired grenade. "Here is one of the more stable upgrades. This is an HI M88 rifle grenade. I can retrofit them to burn more than explode, doing more damage with fire than kinetically. The same upgrade can be made to grenades that can be fired from dedicated launchers." Sif smiles warmly at Thor, reaching for his hand. "Thank you." Her free hand reaches for the report and she nods her head. "It would be beneficial to have such weapons against the Jotun and the..." She hesitates a moment before continuing, a sadness clear in her voice. "The Vanir..." Thor reaches out his hand to Sif, lacing his fingers with hers. As the reports come out, Thor leans forward to peer at the papers, before he smiles sadly and sits back. "I can not read the language used by the mortals of Midgard," says the King, owning up to his illiteracy with calm humility. At Sif's words, however, the Thunderer looks to her and is once again concerned. "The vanir?" His tone is one of questioning disbelief, much as one would sound when told that an ally is a potential enemy. "The Vanir?" Justin asks, noting the hesitation in the goddess. His words nearly mirror Thor's. The concern that the deities have is cause for his own concern, as it could mean a new potential threat he hasn't factored into his plans. He makes a mental note of Thor's inability to read the papers that he's brought, and won't offer him any more, to spare him any potential embarrassment. Sif looks back and forth between the two men before her eyes settle on Thor. "I cannot possibly imagine that the kraken got that shard embedded that deeply without assistance... You know as well as I that some Vanir are still clinging to the old ways..." "Well, yes, but things have been calmer, from what I understand, since their marriage. And it's not like they are an unlistened to second class. Take thyself and thy brother! Both vanir-born and both well respected by Asgard and Vanaheim both," Thor counters, hoping to sound reasonable. "And it's quite possible that it was just... an impossibly high anout of ....of..luck?" Right. Even Thor's not buying that one. Justin frowns slightly as Sif doesn't elaborate on exactly what a Vanir is. That could be potentially important information for the project. He doesn't push, however, as he has worked on enough classified projects to know when asking just won't do any good. Thor's response sheds some light onto the subject, and Hammer looks between the couple. Sif sighs softly and looks at Thor. "My heart... It matters not to the old ones. You know this. We will deal with it as we must." She looks at Justin and gives a faint smile. "The Vanir are a race of people from the Realm of Vanaheim. The Realm I was born in. There was a war which ended in Odin's marriage to Frigga... The Vanir, most of them, were incorporated into the Aesir. Those of the Realm Eternal. Of Asgard." "They are exactly as an aesir is, though more highly gifted toward magicks," adds Thor, giving Sif's hand a light squeeze. Really, now is the perfect time to be thankful that the Goddess all but grew up on Asagrd, but it still doesn't help him feel less like a bilgesnipe's rear end for implying that they'll have to suit up against her birth-race. The mortal nods lightly at the explanation. Well, at least they know how to fight them, should it come to that. But he can see the huge dilemma that fighting them would cause. "Magic," he says, half under his breath as he looks between the god of thunder and the goddess of war. "Heh, magic is a new one on me." He clears his throat and moves on, handing Sif another sheaf of paper. "Here are the specs on the armor piercing rounds we discussed. There's not a lot we can do with them, unless we move to a combination of AP and incendiary. That's something that's doable." Sif smirks and nods her head. "Magick is not overly common upon Asgard either..." She looks over the other paper and nods. "Both would be best, I think." A sigh is given. "I must soon excuse myself. There are a few things I must tend to." Thor tries to smile at Sif, but it's clear hte THunderer is once more concerned. "When thou art ready, Master Hammer, I shall escourt thee to the bifrost..." Hammer nods to Sif. "The rest of what I have is easily explained in the technical bulletins I brought with me," he replies. He slides a file folder toward the goddess, which contains a full set of the technical specs for the potential upgrades. "If you have any questions on any of it, don't hesitate to contact me." There's a pause as Justin tries to figure out how to phrase a request. "I would like to ask, if it isn't too much of an inconvenience, that you please not show any of this to Stark or SHIELD without me present. It contains some trade secrets. Ya know how it is." He nods to Thor and proceeds to pack up the computer and the unused papers. Once the briefcase is packed again, he stands. "Sif, it was a pleasure as always. Thor, ready when you are." He sincerely hopes that he doesn't have to ride a horse back... Category:Log